Career and Education Opportunities for Respiratory Therapy Technicians in Fullerton, California

Respiratory therapy technicians can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Fullerton, California area. The national trend for respiratory therapy technicians sees this job pool shrinking by about 1.1% over the next eight years. Respiratory therapy technicians generally provide specific, well defined respiratory care procedures under the direction of respiratory therapists and physicians.

Respiratory therapy technicians earn about $26 hourly or $54,330 yearly on average in California and about $20 hourly or $42,430 per year on average nationally. Earnings for respiratory therapy technicians are not quite as good as earnings in the general category of Healthcare Technical in California and not quite as good as general Healthcare Technical category earnings nationally. People working as respiratory therapy technicians can fill a number of jobs, such as: staff respiratory therapist, registered pulmonary function technologist, and registered respiratory therapist.

The Fullerton area is home to ninety-two schools of higher education, including two within twenty-five miles of Fullerton where you can get a degree as a respiratory therapy technician. Given that the most common education level for respiratory therapy technicians is an Associate's, or other 2-year degree, you can expect to spend about two years studying to be a respiratory therapy technician if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Respiratory Therapy Technician

In general, respiratory therapy technicians provide specific, well defined respiratory care procedures under the direction of respiratory therapists and physicians.

Respiratory therapy technicians ready and test devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, aerosol generators and electrocardiogram (EKG) machines. They also keep patient therapy records, completing all needed forms. Equally important, respiratory therapy technicians have to use ventilators and various oxygen devices and aerosol and breathing treatments in the provision of respiratory therapy. They are often called upon to administer breathing and oxygen procedures such as intermittent positive pressure breathing treatments, ultrasonic nebulizer treatments and incentive spirometer treatments. They are expected to explain treatment procedures to patients. Finally, respiratory therapy technicians monitor patients during treatment and report any unusual reactions to the respiratory therapist.

Every day, respiratory therapy technicians are expected to be able to listen to and understand others in meetings. They need to evaluate problems as they arise. It is also important that they articulate ideas and problems.

It is important for respiratory therapy technicians to furnish respiratory care involving the application of well-defined therapeutic techniques under the supervision of a respiratory therapist and a physician. They are often called upon to teach or oversee other staff who furnish respiratory care services. They also recommend and review bedside procedures, x-rays, and laboratory tests. They are sometimes expected to interview and examine patients to collect clinical data. Somewhat less frequently, respiratory therapy technicians are also expected to monitor patients during treatment and report any unusual reactions to the respiratory therapist.

They also have to be able to monitor patients during treatment and report any unusual reactions to the respiratory therapist and clean, sterilize, check and maintain respiratory therapy apparatus. And finally, they sometimes have to assess patients' responses to treatments and modify treatments in line with protocols if needed.

Like many other jobs, respiratory therapy technicians must have strong self control in the face of challenging situations and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Fullerton include:

Cardiac Technician. Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary-functions, lung capacity, and similar tests.

Medical Laboratory Technician. Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

Sonographer. Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.

Surgical Technician. Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, and help count sponges, needles, and instruments.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Respiratory Therapy Technician Training

Orange Coast College - Costa Mesa, CA

Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-5005. Orange Coast College is a large college located in Costa Mesa, California. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 24,700 students. Orange Coast College has an associate's degree and a two to four year program in Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist which graduated twenty-five and zero students respectively in 2008.

Concorde Career College - Garden Grove, CA

Concorde Career College, 12951 Euclid Street, Suite 101, Garden Grove, CA 92840-9201. Concorde Career College is a small college located in Garden Grove, California. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs. It has 761 students and an admission rate of 100%. Concorde Career College has 2 areas of study related to Respiratory Therapy Technician. They are:

Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant, less than one year which graduated 16 students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Biomedical Electronics Technician:
Biomedical electronics technicians are expected to obtain knowledge of the principles of modern biomedical techniques, the proper procedure in the care, handling and maintenance of biomedical equipment and to display an attitude/behavior expected of an electronics technician who works in a hospital or healthcare environment.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Fullerton, California

Fullerton, California photo by Geographer

Fullerton is located in Orange County, California. It has a population of over 131,868, which has grown by 4.7% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Fullerton, 140, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Fullerton are valued at $177,700 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, thirty-one new homes were built in Fullerton, down from thirty-five the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Fullerton are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is construction, accommodation and food services, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average commute to work is about 27 minutes. More than 31.3% of Fullerton residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 10.8%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Fullerton is 10.8%, which is less than California's average of 12.3%.

The percentage of Fullerton residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 44.8%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Charismatic Churches Independent.

Fullerton is home to the Fullerton Public Library and the Muckenthaler Cultural Center as well as Hermosa School Park and Woodcrest Park. Shopping centers in the area include Fullerton Town Center Shopping Center, Fullerton University Shopping Center and West Fullerton Shopping Center. Visitors to Fullerton can choose from AKUA Motor Inn, Ambassador Inn and Anaheim Park Hotel for temporary stays in the area.